Drops of Starlight
by LeonaWriter
Summary: A series of (at times out of sequence) ficlets based in a world where Yuusei was always female. While many things stay the same, the small changes can sometimes be the ones that matter the most. Features Treasonshipping, at first one-sided. (More may be written if inspiration hits)
1. A Dress to the Occasion

Yuusei had been working on her D-Wheel since before Jack had come back in, and he couldn't help but feel irritated.

_Ka-chk. Ka-k…_

Really… with the party celebrating the WRGP only in a matter of days, he would have thought that she'd be a bit more prepared! But no. He hadn't noticed her doing anything other than what she normally did!

Even Aki had gone out and found something new! It seemed like all of them had, apart from Crow - and wasn't that just like him, not to care - and Yuusei.

"Oi, Yuusei."

"Aa?"

"You _have_ sorted out what you're going to do for the party, right?"

"Aa," she said, carrying on with an expression of concentration.

"Even Carly's got something."

"Mm-hm."

"I'm sure if you're having trouble finding anything, Aki could help you."

"Un. That's right…"

"Crow's probably not going to bother, damn it-"

"Ah-hn…."

"What?"

Was she… was she even _listening to him?_ After all he was trying to do?!

"…_Oii….. Yuusei…_" He grabbed at her, making her jump.

"Eh? What-?!"

"Look. Crow, I can handle. But I'm not having you put no effort into this!"

"Ah… Jack… you really don't have to…"

"Hn!"

"Crow isn't going to like it."

Although she wasn't, at least, fighting back too much. Apart from shoving him off of her, that is. And now, after dusting herself down, he'd grabbed at her arm this time and had started to pull her towards the doorway.

"Crow doesn't have to like it. I, Jack Atlas, refuse to allow my younger sister to appear at such an event improperly presented!"

"Ahh… _Jack…"_

…

The dress she ended up wearing was a dark blue, and brought out her eyes. It also allowed for a good range of movement, something that became _very_ useful when she ended up having to duel later that very night, after reassurances that she wouldn't have to do that very thing.

Crow, as predicted, was not impressed… with _either _of them. Jack, for dragging Yuusei out for it, and Yuusei for going along with it.

…

AN: Reminder that this is Jack being Jack, and Yuusei… really can't care either way as long as she can move around and ride a bike. Pairings didn't come to mind after this, even. I'd just seen a fanart that inspired this scene, months passed, and then I was inspired to do more - I'm even reposting it here as in the order I wrote it.


	2. Crashing in Crashtown

It'd been a long day, a long week, and really, that said, a long year, and sometimes Jack and Crow wondered how Yuusei kept up with it all.

The answer, of course, was that she didn't, and that she just plain tended to ignore her body's cries for sleep, keeping on going as long as she could. Crow knew that he couldn't follow her patterns, staying up all night to get that 'one last' program or bit of fixing done, but somehow, she did.

And then, the inevitable crash.

She'd stagger into the room, and at first she'd try to carry on as normal. It wouldn't last long, though, and she'd just start to topple over onto the nearest leaning surface or person. Sometimes Jack. Sometimes Crow. Recently, sometimes Bruno.

Which said a lot about how highly she thought of the new guy, given that she only really did that 'can I use you as a pillow' thing to people she _really_ trusted. Like, _really, really _trusts.

And so, when she started acting like she was about to just drop off in Crashtown as they were trying to talk a few things through with Kiryu, it didn't really surprise them. Especially after hearing about what kind of stupid stunts she'd been up to trying to save the idiot's life.

It was almost entertainment in and of itself just to watch to see how long she'd last, leaning over and over… until, finally, her eyes closed, head resting somewhere between Kiryu's arm and shoulder.

Crow snorted, and would've been fine to just carry on the conversation without her - she was getting rest, after all, and at least she hadn't just started leaning against someone while _standing up_. If she lost balance, then Kiryu could just catch her, or something. Jack just rolled his eyes. The two of them were far too used to this kind of behaviour to be fazed any more.

Kiryu, though… _that_ reaction wasn't quite what they'd expected, with him slowly turning his head to glance out of the corner of his eye the now fast asleep form of Yuusei, as if to assure himself that yes, this was happening.

"Oi, Kiryu, it ain't like she's gonna wake up for a while, y'know? You remember how she gets when she's pushed herself too hard…"

Kiryu blinked, and turned to them, with such an odd expression on his face that they wondered if he was all right.

"How… how could I forget?"

They thought that he just meant that it'd been so long, and maybe things back then, small things like this, were fuzzy to him. After all, a lot had happened to all of them.

"How could I have _forgotten_?"

"Kiryu…?"

He shook his head, slowly and carefully so as to not dislodge the one using him for a pillow. As though he were somehow scared of waking her.

"Bac then… when it was just us. I thought…" He swore, and both Jack and Crow stared at him in surprise. "I thought she'd just learned to listen," he continued, just as quietly as before. "That she'd started sleeping properly. Hah… looking back, how could I've been so _stupid_?"

They continued to stare, at first from confusion and from the realisation - the same realisation that Kiryu must have come to, that she hadn't trusted him enough for it back then - but soon found themselves looking away, out of discomfort, and an odd feeling of interrupting something.

Crow sighed, and shook his head.

"Look, y'know… bad stuff happened back then. But that was then, yeah? We get over it. She trusts you now."

He nodded - again, carefully.

"I'm…" an odd noise escaped him. "Sorry, though. I'm sorry. I was never able to tell you guys. I'm _sorry."_

"You're making up for it now, aren't you?" Jack said, looking up and away with a snort. "You've got the town. And those two kids who look up to you. You-"

He was somewhat interrupted by Yuusei making noises in her sleep, clearly out for the count, and then sliding, despite Kiryu's best efforts, so that her head was now resting in his lap. She snuffled with a deep breath, and then let it out, relaxing back into peaceful rest.

Kiryu made a weird squeaking noise before settling into this new development, but neither of his old teammates could ignore the way his face had grown steadily redder throughout the conversation.

"O-oi, Kiryu, you aren't…"

Jack blinked, and looked first at Kiryu's red face, and at the odd way he was holding himself, then at Yuusei. Then back again.

"Crow-"

"You sure you're-"

"Crow-"

"'S just, your face is all-"

"_Crow-_"

"Jack d'you _mind?"_ Crow said, exhasperated, as Jack, with wide eyes, was still trying to stop him from saying something - efforts that were wasted, since Crow couldn't tell what he was trying to get at.

Kiryu's face merely kept getting a darker shade of pink.

"Oi- you sure you haven't caught something? Like, it's damn _cold_ over here, and what with being in those mines and all…"

Kiryu let out a long breath, and shook his head without saying a word.

"…How long?"

"Jack…?" Crow asked, confused.

Jack crossed his arms, causing Kiryu - for some reason - to lean back ever so slightly, eyes widening.

"Kiryu… _how long?"_

"I-" he looked away from them, but then back down at Yuusei. "A… long while now…?"

"The heck?"

"Crow," Jack said, exhasperated, "that's not a _fever_. He's _blushing!"_

He did a double take, and yeah, he guessed it _could_ look like that, but Kiryu'd never- he'd _thought_ Kiryu'd never felt that way about Yuusei. Right?

Except.

"Wow. What- you really-?" He motioned between them with his eyes.

"A-ah… y-yeah. I…" He coughed, going - if possible - even redder.

"Did a right number on you, huh? With her saving your life like that, I _guess_ I get it…"

Kiryu blinked, and something about the awkwardness of it caught Jack's attention.

"Kiryu? Something you want to share?"

He mumbled something so inaudible neither of them could figure out what it was. They didn't have to ask him this time, though. He glanced up, just saw their unimpressed faces, and made another, slightly improved attempt.

"C'mon. The hell was that."

Kiryu repeated it again, and this time loudly and clearly enough that they could hear-

"S-since I was seventeen…."

Both Crow and Jack found themselves doing a spit-take - since _how_ long? That must've been way back- back when they were in Team Satisfaction! The _early_ days.

"Uh. Pretty much since I first saw her," Kiryu continued softly.

"Shit," Crow found himself saying. "_Shiiiit._"

Yuusei moved in her sleep, and they all froze - apart from Kiryu, who hesitantly lifted a hand to her head, carefully brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Hah… stupid, huh? All that time… I could've said something, but I didn't. She- she just didn't seem interested, not like that, she thought we were more like… like family, than anything. And I didn't have the guts to tell her I didn't think like that." Without her resting on his shoulder, he was free to shrug. "I guess I still don't. How can I, after all this?"

"Keep going on like that," Jack said, "and the moment she's awake again I'll beat some sense into you."

Kiryu surprised them by laughing.

"Alright, alright-!"

"No, y'know… I think what he means is, maybe you should let _her_ decide that."

Jack nodded, and Kiryu…

"Maybe. I just… maybe. Not yet."

"Mn…" Crow sighed. "Up to you, I guess. Hey, I'm not gonna say anything if you don't _want_ me to, but. _You_ should."

He just shook his head, resting a hand cautiously on her head.

…

AN: There's… probably going to be other scenes from in and around Crashtown at some point, but- for now, have the _origin of the Treasonshipping in the AU._

To think. It all started with me thinking of him blushing when she flopped on him!


	3. Five Times He Kissed Her

The first time he ever kissed her, she was asleep, and he only did it because he didn't think anyone was around. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been brave enough.

She'd been working on one of her projects again, and had just conked out with her head on her arm, one hand still holding bits of electronics he didn't even know the name of.

He'd been struck then by how young she looked when sleeping, how soft and vulnerable when her guard was let down, as opposed to the hard Satellite outlook they all shared when awake. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and, noticing how she'd get a cramp in her neck and back and a numb arm if she was just left like that, he scooped her up into his arms - no easy feat, with her still sitting as she was - and carried her over to the nearest pallet, laying her down on her side and putting a blanket over her, so that she'd be warm.

And then, he bent down, heart thumping, and kissed her softly on the forehead.

She stirred for a moment, and for that one moment he was terrified that she'd wake up after all that and he'd have to explain himself, but she didn't; she just drew the blanket closer and went back to sleep.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and revelled in the memory of his lips against her, a faint blush rising to his cheeks at the innocent yet guilty pleasure.

_Sleep well_, he'd thought to her. _I'll look out for you until you're rested enough to face monsters again_.

The second time he kissed her, it was easier.

He'd seen Crow and Jack do similar so many times - a hug and a kiss, just to say 'be careful', or 'It's good to see you', or 'I'll be here when you come back'.

He and Crow were going to scout out the next area, and Yuusei and Jack were going to be staying put so that their things were safe, and no one took advantage. Since Crow and Yuusei were the smaller of the four of them, it only made sense to split into two, so to speak, to balance things out a bit.

Crow had slung an arm around her, and she'd playfully batted him away with a laugh after he said something in her ear. He and Jack clasped hands for a moment - Jack's eyes telling him _don't mess this up_ - and then he gave Yuusei herself a firm but brief hug, the same as he would have either of the others if he'd so wanted.

But then he found himself kissing her on the cheek, and for a moment didn't fully realise what he'd done - but Yuusei only blinked, and smiled, that smile that made her face light up, the one he often found himself having to hide from because it made his face light up, too.

He turned around, and waved a single-handed salute of sorts, making sure to keep ahead of Crow - which wasn't too hard, because the kid had short legs.

And if he bounced a bit on the way down the stairs, then why shouldn't he? They were getting their dream fulfilled, covering more of their map of Satellite in black, and… he'd just kissed her.

For a moment in time, it didn't matter that she likely didn't know what it meant. Only that he was floating.

The third time he kissed her, it was by accident.

They were fighting in the mines, in Crashtown, and he'd already been punched in the gut once. He'd forgotten how strong she was, and combined with how much weaker he was compared to how he used to be… it hadn't taken much.

She didn't even realise he'd see it as such, when they fell against each other and their lips crashed together for a moment - he couldn't tell if she was just as red in the face as he was, in the dark, but he wouldn't, for once, be surprised if she was.

They both put it out of mind as fast as they could - there was no time, it was just an accident, it meant nothing.

But hours later, he'd still be gingerly touching his fingers to his lips, eyes wide and trembling, and he'd remember. When they told him to tell her how he felt, he wondered - would she remember too, and think that he'd taken advantage? Because he hadn't.

She'd been the one besting him in the fight, and it wasn't anyone's _fault_ if… if something like _that_ had just randomly happened.

The fourth time he kissed her, she knew what it meant.

He, Nico and West were in Neo Domino in the aftermath of the WRGP, and with the money he'd made from making an honest living back in his new home, they'd been able to afford a couple of hotel rooms, West being still young enough to share with his sister. Just long enough to make sure everyone was doing well enough over in the City, to show the kids around, just a few days.

Things had taken an unexpected turn when the officer - Ushio, who Yuusei said she knew, and who she said was good people - took him aside and explained that, given he was there, and he technically had no records, and was also technically _dead_ - requested that he stay a few days longer to deal with the official paperwork.

It wouldn't take long, they said, and they'd cover the costs. It was just getting very confusing, having someone around who 'shouldn't exist'. But afterwards, it'd be a clean, blank slate. A way to start afresh.

He'd found her in the garage, while Nico and West were hounding Crow and Jack for stories and hadn't noticed him slip away.

She hadn't been around much, he'd realised. And when she was, she just wasn't 'there'. Something in here eyes was gone, more than it ever used to be, and seeing her like that made him feel helpless and angry all at the same time.

She was attempting to draw something out when he found her, one hand clutching a red vizor, resting on the stack of paper to hold it steady, and the other holding a pencil, which was moving around the page at almot unbelievable speed.

She let out a frustrated noise, caught somewhere between a quiet scream and a sob, and tore the drawing she'd been working on in two, crumpling it up and throwing it across the room.

She didn't give up, though, just moving on to the next one as he came closer, the footfall of his boots and the jangling of the belts on his coat all the alarm she should have needed, but she still jumped when he put a hand on her shoulder.

When she looked up, he noticed that her eyes were red, shining with tears, and only now was he able to see that the paper she'd been using to draw on had wet splodges covering it, some old and dry, others newer.

He sighed, and drew her up and out of the chair and into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.

"He never said," she sobbed into him, finally letting out the hurt emotions that she'd been keeping inside of her all this time. "He could have- but he- he never…"

He glanced at the floor, and all of the drawings were of a person, a man he'd never seen but had heard of. In some, he wore the same visor as Yuusei was still holding in a tight grip, as though afraid to lose the one last thing she had of this lost friend, who'd maybe been something _more_.

He'd known there was someone else. They'd told him. When she called, he wasn't deaf, and he wasn't blind, and although it hurt he didn't truly mind, as long as she was happy.

But she wasn't happy now, and that mattered. That mattered a great deal.

He stroked her head, and held her, and allowed her to let it all out.

"I only just realised that I didn't want to lose him. More than… almost more than anything else. And now… now he's gone."

None of them had heard this before, and although he stilled, he didn't do anything else, simply accepting it.

"And he did it for _me_. He wanted… he knew we couldn't both get out, so he…" She sobbed again, making his coat wet, but he didn't mind.

"He wanted you safe, and he wanted you alive," he said softly.

"But- but if I'd known- I might have been able to _do_ something-"

"Might haves never solve anything, Yuusei. Look who's talking. 'If' I'd never lost my head. 'If' I'd run off with you guys. 'If' I hadn't been revived. 'If'… it just goes on and on. But we can't live in a world of 'ifs', always wondering how we could've changed the past. It kills you. A little bit more each time. And if he wanted you to live even a bit like _I_ want you to live… he wouldn't want that for you. You're worth more than that."

She looked up - he was even taller than her now than he was back in the day, wasn't he? - and she looked like he'd said something absolutely revelatory.

"Kiryu… you…"

He loosened his grip on her, instead holding her shoulders loosely for a moment, during which he leaned down and kissed her forehead, a tender action that had her staring at him, in the almost guilty realisation that the way she'd felt about Bruno, Kiryu felt about her.

Maybe she also realised that if the one she'd lost had allowed her to lose instead, he'd be feeling the same as her, if not worse, like a part of him had been ripped out, never to return.

"Come on. Let's pick these up off the floor. I'm sure some of them can be saved."

The fifth time he kissed her, she kissed him back.

It was months later, and both Jack and Crow had long since moved out of the garage, but then again so had Yuusei. She was moving up in the world, now, head scientist in the field of developing new methods of utilising Momentum, and alternatives to Momentum.

There was enough space in the apartment she now rented - with access to an underground garage beneath the block - for them to not have to bother with a hotel this time. She simply let them take over the spare room, and he himself took the sofa.

On the first morning, he caught her staring at him as he tied his hair back, still slightly damp from his quick shower. They shook it off, awkward and in unfamiliar territory.

He was so used to the idea that things were the way they were, and Yuusei was Yuusei, that he'd almost stopped believing in the idea that his feelings might be returned.

She took them on a tour of the facility, and had to fight his mouth not to let out comparisons between this one and the last one, almost failing twice, with a started _"This kind of reminds me of.." _or a cut off _"They made changes to the-"_, which Yuusei, thankfully, either didn't seem to mind or purposefully ignored for both of their sakes.

They didn't need reminders of that dark period in both of their lives. Nico and West, thankfully, were oblivious. Maybe he'd tell them when they were older. Maybe, if he was ready to.

They had lunch in the facility cafeteria, which was nothing special, but Nico and West were still able to stare at all of the people coming and going, and he himself was able to appreciate how Yuusei had found something that she was truly good at, a field that she was respected in, where people came up to her with questions that he couldn't even begin to understand, but she did.

Some of those asked if they were together, and they both blushed as they shook their heads, making the kids laugh. Others simply asked who he was, and she would, proudly, proclaim him to be an old friend of hers, an old and very important teammate.

Even now, he sometimes wondered how she could do that. Then again, she was _Yuusei_.

She'd been given the next couple of days off, so they were spent, mostly, with them. She showed him Satellite as it now was, and they showed the kids the places where their memories had been made. They went to the places they hadn't been able to before, the places which had ties to Old Domino, as it used to be, and the tops, the height of what they'd once yearned for.

And at home, there became almost a routine; she'd get showered and dressed first, then he would, and they'd start making breakfast while Nico and West got ready.

It was odd, how easily they slid into the role, something they hadn't done since they were kids in Team Satisfaction, back when they, along with Jack and Crow, took turns with the cooking, the cleaning, the household things that needed to be done, albeit in a smaller space and with less need to make sure nothing could give them away, or end up stolen.

It happened in the kitchen. She was turning around for something, kneeling to better get inside a cupboard, and he didn't notice, instead bending down to reach for something.

They ended up with their faces just inches away, and he found his heart beating, a drumbeat so loud he was sure she could hear it. His mouth had gone dry. Her face had gone a strange, mottled kind of pink, and there he'd thought he knew all of her blushes.

Losing his balance for just a moment when he lost focus left them with their lips meeting, but this time, this time they didn't pretend it was nothing.

He felt her kiss him back, one arm holding his shoulder, one hand on the floor so that they didn't fall over and make it more awkward than it already was.

It was over quickly when one of them started laughing over it, and the other soon joined in - not at the other, but because it had _happened, _because it had taken so long, because it was messy and inexperienced and imperfect but _theirs_.

…

AN: Here let's play a game of _I did not intend this to get this long._ But I'd always wanted to do a 'Five Kisses' or a 'Five plus one' story, so here you go!


	4. The Silent Badass Type'

Hm, for girl!Yusei, I'd say she's the silent badass type for the trope meme! (Meme being 'pick a character and a trope you associate with them, and I write fic for it'.) Done for Tumblr user 'whatacartouchebag'. Blatant sexism in Satellite, and Yuusei being - as requested - a silent badass.

They'd just disposed of one team, and they were at a place Kiryu'd always been on good terms with - who cared in Satellite, where the duel gangs reigned, if someone was underage? Custom was still custom, and so long as they didn't cause any trouble, the bartender wasn't bothered.

The patrons usually looked after themselves just fine. Because trouble meant attention, and attention meant, inevitably, Security.

He'd offered Yuusei a drink, but she'd politely refused, the bartender smiling wryly at the one girl who didn't take advantage and - in their eyes at least - towed the line of the 'law'. She'd have milk, and she was fine with that. Jack and Kiryu, in the end, were the only ones who had anything actually alcoholic.

In their team, at least.

The rest of the place, though - that was full of men and women of all ages, some of whom were finding it harder than others to keep their thoughts to themselves.

First came the sniggers, the first audible sound of something that had been brewing for a while. Crow looked at the others, but while Kiryu frowned, he followed Yuusei's lead and neither said nor did a thing.

The laughter quickly grew more raucous, and a wolf whistle or two could be heard. Jack tensed, looking over at the owner, who shrugged - what could he really do? Call Security? - which didn't help the mood.

Kiryu himself had to fight down an impulse to lay down the threats when a couple of heavy-set guys sauntered over to their table.

"_Yooo~!_ Nice lady you got there~!"

Laughter from those still seated.

Yuusei sighed. Crow bit the inside of his lip, not knowing what to do, and both of the older boys - each for their own different reasons - found it harder and harder to resist throwing punches.

"Mind if we have a share of that milk, little girly~?"

The man reached out to touch her, and instantly found his hand caught in a vice-like grip, Yuusei merely giving him a cold glare as she backed her chair up and stood.

"Why you-!"

She neatly side-stepped out of the second man's way, tripping him up as he came for her - not a hard feat being that he was already inebriated. She then used the momentum to flip the first over her hip to join him.

All in moments, all without saying a word.

Kiryu found himself staring as she picked up the glass of milk, moved around the table and past Jack in order to go back to the bar, where she downed the last of the drink and put the glass down.

Only then did she look back at them.

"Ready?"

Perhaps if he had words, he'd have said something, but maybe having his brain fried by the display would work too, as if he didn't _need_ to say anything.

The truth was, that hadn't been a duel, he hadn't taught her that - he wondered where she'd learned it - and it'd been rather... violent. He was, at the same time, somewhat, only _slightly_, intimidated. But also a little turned on.

...

AN: SO THIS HAPPENED.

I'd always thought 'what if it was from the Team Satisfaction days' because why not, but then it started to be from Kiryu's pov, and the dork just ended up _narrating everything._

I was also inspired by a meme thing that was going around a while back. Whoops. Anyways, I hope this works for you~


End file.
